Edinburgh taxi driver dragged from car in “racist attack”

As Edinburgh taxi driver, Sikondor Ullah, was picking up a fare on Sunday evening, a group of male and female 14-20 year olds allegedly dragged Mr Ullah from his vehicle, before smashing his windscreen and stealing his evening’s earnings, as well as his car and house keys.

Mr Ullah claims that the group had previously forced him to stop his car earlier in the evening, before proceeding to steal items from his boot. “During the first attack, they were laughing and screaming and I thought they were just messing about,” states Mr Ullah.

However, in describing the second alleged attack, where one of the group jumped onto his bonnet in order to stamp on his windscreen, he said that: “I was so frightened, they knew by this time I was Asian and they came back and were making racist abuse, calling me names… I couldn’t sleep at all that night, neither did my wife or daughter. We live in the area as well. I don’t know whether I can carry on as a driver, going out at night now.”

Police said they wanted to speak to witnesses to the assault and robbery, which took place in West Pilton Place, Edinburgh. The taxi was first approached close to the road’s junction with Crewe Road Gardens at around 6.55pm on Sunday. The man who jumped on the taxi was white, tall, of slim build and wearing a red top.

The local residents’ association, Tenants and Residents in Muirhouse (TRIM), and Friends of West Pilton, said that this incident is part on an ongoing problem and is demanding a meeting with Holyrood’s justice secretary, Michael Matheson.